Last Friday, at the annual conference of the American Copy Editors Society, the editors at the Associated Press announced that the AP Stylebook will henceforth include guidance on when it is acceptable to use grammatically plural they, them, and their to refer to a singular antecedent — what we know … [Read more...]

Singular (or epicene) they has been a hot topic among copy editors over the last five or six years, and we're seeing a growing acceptance of it. We've explored the subject here on Copyediting a number of times already (like here, here, here, and here), so there's really no point in my rehashing how … [Read more...]

“Open Letter: Covering Caitlyn Jenner”: NLGJA has some tips for how to write about transgender people in news stories. (The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association)
“Stand Out in the Crowd: Find Your Niche”: So many new freelance editors aim to edit anything for anyone. Here’s why you … [Read more...]

Inclusive language exists so that the word choices we make don’t cut out segments of the population unintentionally. There are, of course, times when word choice appropriately narrows the field of discussion: one might think it reasonable to use only female pronouns when writing about the experience … [Read more...]

“Marketing Your Editorial Business: Differentiation, Solution and Empathy”: How to include these three aspects in your marketing. (The Proofreader’s Parlour)
“Should Links Be Live in APA Style?”: The answer is, perhaps predictably, it depends. (APA Style Blog)
“Everything You Ever Wanted to Know … [Read more...]

I’ve long espoused the utility of the singular they as a handy pronoun for when the sex of the subject is hypothetical or unknown. But as a copyeditor, I’m beholden to convention—it’s not for me to tell an author they should use a form that some people consider ungrammatical. My job is to provide … [Read more...]